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nutellamilktae 's review for:
Newcomer
by Keigo Higashino
I didn’t expect much from this book at first, especially since it's not as highly recommended as Malice or The Devotion of Suspect X. But after reading Malice, I decided to give it a try, and to my surprise, I ended up liking it even more.
This is the fourth Keigo Higashino book I’ve read, and it focuses on the lives of residents in Nihonbashi. The detailed descriptions of the setting and cultural touches really stood out. The different stories intertwine on the same timeline, with characters occasionally connecting to each other or can even provide important clues.
Even though the plot follows a classic mystery style—guessing the murderer by exploring the lives of the residents—I didn’t mind the slower pace. The slice-of-life aspect made it feel fresh, with some touching moments, like the story of a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, which was my favorite. There are many characters, but they each get enough attention to make you feel connected to them.
Detective Kaga is the highlight of the book. He stands out more here than in Malice. Through the perspectives of the people he meets, Kaga is portrayed as a deeply empathetic character with sharp observation skills and exceptional investigative abilities. Even though he works alone in this story, his interaction with Uesugi near the end was a nice touch. After reading this, I’ve grown to love Kaga, almost as much as I like Yukawa!
The ending doesn’t have a big twist like some of Higashino’s other books, but I appreciated the epilogue that wraps things up. One minor issue with the Indonesian translation is the lack of footnotes, so I had to look up some terms myself. Also, with so many characters reappearing later, I found myself flipping back to remember who they were. The English version, as I recall, had a character summary at the beginning, which helped.
Overall, this book is great for readers who enjoy mysteries mixed with slice-of-life stories, focusing on the emotional depth of the characters. While I personally enjoyed this more than Malice, I still recommend reading Malice first to better understand Detective Kaga.
This is the fourth Keigo Higashino book I’ve read, and it focuses on the lives of residents in Nihonbashi. The detailed descriptions of the setting and cultural touches really stood out. The different stories intertwine on the same timeline, with characters occasionally connecting to each other or can even provide important clues.
Even though the plot follows a classic mystery style—guessing the murderer by exploring the lives of the residents—I didn’t mind the slower pace. The slice-of-life aspect made it feel fresh, with some touching moments, like the story of a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, which was my favorite. There are many characters, but they each get enough attention to make you feel connected to them.
Detective Kaga is the highlight of the book. He stands out more here than in Malice. Through the perspectives of the people he meets, Kaga is portrayed as a deeply empathetic character with sharp observation skills and exceptional investigative abilities. Even though he works alone in this story, his interaction with Uesugi near the end was a nice touch. After reading this, I’ve grown to love Kaga, almost as much as I like Yukawa!
The ending doesn’t have a big twist like some of Higashino’s other books, but I appreciated the epilogue that wraps things up. One minor issue with the Indonesian translation is the lack of footnotes, so I had to look up some terms myself. Also, with so many characters reappearing later, I found myself flipping back to remember who they were. The English version, as I recall, had a character summary at the beginning, which helped.
Overall, this book is great for readers who enjoy mysteries mixed with slice-of-life stories, focusing on the emotional depth of the characters. While I personally enjoyed this more than Malice, I still recommend reading Malice first to better understand Detective Kaga.